Praise for suspending Scott sisters’ sentences

Gov. Haley Barbour met Thursday (23rd Dec 2010) with the NAACP, a day after he suspended the double life sentences for Jamie and Gladys Scott, sisters who have spent years in prison for a robbery that netted $11.00. “We all worked together to make justice work in this state,” said National NAACP President Benjamin Jealous. “I’m here to thank the people and the governor of Mississippi. When you are right, you are right. Gov. Barbour, you were right today.”

According to court records, the Scott sisters were found guilty in 1994 of luring two men down a road near Forest, where three young assailants used a shotgun to rob the men. Gladys Scott is now 36 years old and Jamie Scott is 38 years old.

“To date, the sisters have served 16 years of their sentences and are eligible for parole in 2014. Jamie Scott requires regular dialysis, and her sister has offered to donate one of her kidneys to her,” Barbour said in a statement.

“The Mississippi Department of Corrections believes the sisters no longer pose a threat to society. Their incarceration is no longer necessary for public safety or rehabilitation, and Jamie Scott’s medical condition creates a substantial cost to the state of Mississippi.”